The Balearic parliament yesterday unanimously approved parts of a motion which urged an acceleration in projects financed with tourist tax revenue. The government and "beneficiary administrations" (the ultimate recipients of tourist tax funding) were called on to move ahead more swiftly, the motion having initially been directed only at the government.
The Partido Popular had tabled the motion, while an amendment by the government parties (plus Podemos) was addressed towards the beneficiary administrations alone. This provoked criticism from Miquel Jerez of the PP who reminded the government that it was responsible for transferring the revenue and promoting agreed projects. "If you (the government) does not assume responsibility for accelerating projects, then what good is the Balearic Tourism Agency (ATB)?"
Jerez suggested that it would be better for the beneficiary administrations to receive the funding directly. The ATB and the tourism ministry were "obstacles to projects".
He added that the website which reports on the management of the tax is "just a replica of the Official Bulletin". Olga Ballester of Ciudadanos took up this point by insisting that the government publishes improved data on the management of the tourist tax and accused the government of "lying to the citizens" about the collection of the tax in 2016 and 2017.
There was also unanimous agreement on requesting the government to initiate, within a fortnight, a multi-lingual campaign to explain the destination of tourist tax revenue.
Speaking to the motion, Antoni Reus of Més observed that the PP had gone from criticising the tourist tax to criticising the fact that it wasn't being spent quickly enough. He suggested that the PP had not "dared" to include what had been its real intention in the motion, which was the elimination of the APB. Reus also attacked the C's by saying that the law governing the tax requires the giving of "general information" about spending and not the detail that the C's were demanding.
Bel Oliver of PSOE argued that the government has been managing the tourist tax "rigorously". She accepted that things could perhaps be done "more quickly" but that they would not be done "any more scrupulously" than they are.
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Bel Oliver is either bored to tears or having a quick kip,tells you everything you need to know about Majorcan politicians.
The longer the revenues are held in Interest bearing accounts , the more money is accrued. WHEN will they publish accounts. e.g. Each Hotels collection amounts. ( Do they match up with sales/guest payments ) and how long do the taxed revenues remain in the Hotels accounts ?.. WILL we ever see the amount of monies collected , and the amount being spent , AND ON WHAT is the money being used ? TOURISTS CRY " RIP-OFF !!! "
Government urged to speed up tourist tax spending ? They will have to take it out of somebody`s back pocket first . ALLEGEDLY
Once again the Tourist Tax is NOT being SPENT on what it was meant for and we the tourists are being ripped off can anyone tell me why I should pay for the privilege of coming to this Island to spend my hard earned money with local businesses and to keep the Islanders in work I and other Tourist can go to other parts of the world and spend our money without being charged by local governments
Divert ALL of it to the police. You can prettify Mallorca all you want but if the crime problem is not solved, bad PR will continue, and people will stop coming anyway.